System of electrical distribution.



No. 655,2I9. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

E. E. FRISCHMUTH.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

(Application fil'ad Oct. 2, 1899.)

2 Sheets-sheaf I.

(No Model.)

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No. 655,219. Patented Aug. 7, I900. E. E. FRISCHMUTH.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

5 (A lication filed Oct. 2, 1899.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

EMMERICH ERNST FRISCHMUTH, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIEMENS 8a I-IALSKE ELECTRIC COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CIIICAGC,

ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRlCAL DISTRIBUTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 655,219, dated August '7, 1900.

Application filed October 2, 1899. Serial No. 732,350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMERICH ERNST FRISCHMUTH, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Systems of Electrical Distribution, (Case No. 238,) of which the following is a full,clear,

concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, for-m- IO ing a part of this specification.

My invention relates to systems of electrical distribution, and has for its object the provision of improved means for suspending electrical conductors whereby the same may I 5 be maintained at uniform tension and whereby upon the breakage of any part of the conductors the broken portion will be grounded automatically.

Generally speaking, my invention comprises a plurality of sections of a single conductor, each section being supplied with ourrent from a -common feeder. The individual sections of the conductor or main are supported at intervals in the preferred embodiment of the invention upon swinging brackets, the ends of each section having weights attached thereto, whereby the sections are individually maintained taut and whereby contraction and expansion in the 0 wires may readily occur, the weights and the lengths of the sections being so proportioned that the slack is always taken up upon expansion of the conductor, the weights being lifted upon contraction thereof. At present it is customary to mount the wires by stationary cross-arms or cross-wires, the connectinginsulators rigidly holding the distributingwires in mechanical connection with their supports. It is therefore necessary, especially in electrical-railway practice, so to design the system that the wires will have a sufificiently-large sag to compensate for contraction to which the wires are subjected in cold weather. For this reason it is impossible to keep the spans of wire under any uniform or constant tension. The variable strains caused react harmfully upon the material of the wire and its supports. My present invention supplies a means whereby these defects are overcome. I also provide a way of short-circuiting or grounding any section of a main conductor that may become broken or separated from a weight. This consists,

in the preferred embodiment of my invention, in providing back-grounded or shortcircuiting contacts against which contacts carried by the swinging arms are adapted to strike, the latter contacts being connected with the wire sections.

I will explain my invention more particu- 6o larly by reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the same. v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of two trolley-Wires supported upon swinging brackets attached to posts. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the upper portion of one of the posts, showing a support for a section of wire. Fig. 3 is a plan View showing a swinging bracket associated with a grounded or short-circuiting contact. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper portion of two posts, showing the mechanism for suspending wire in place thereupon. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing several sections of wire supported in accordance with the invention. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the different figures. g

My invention is herein shown as applied to an electric-railway system employing overhead transmission-conductors. These conductors are divided into sections 0. b c, which overlap, as indicated most clearly in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, suitable trolleys being employed whereby connection is made by the trolley with one section of a trolley-conductor before it leaves another. The sections of trolleywire are mounted upon swinging arms 01, havo ing pivotal or swinging connections with brackets projecting from the upper portions of a series of posts e c. Weights f are attached to the ends of the conductor-sections, pulleys 9 being provided for supporting the 5 conductor sections and more readily enabling the trolley to expand and contract, the weights being free to move 'down and up. The posts intervening between the posts supporting the pulleys g are provided with swinging arms it, having pivotal or swinging connection at or with the posts, so that as the wires expand and contract these arms may swing upon their journals. Insulators are preferably provided in the lengths of conductor-sections to prevent the weights from grounding the same. A feeder-conductor 7; is shown in Fig. 7, having connection with the individual sections of trolley-wire.

Referring to Fig. 3, I preferably provide backgrounded or short-circuiting contactsl in connection with some of the posts, against which the swinging arms dare adapted to strike upon breakage of the conductor-sections to short-circuit the same. The swinging arms are suitably connected with the feeder for supplying the sections of conductors.

I do not wish to be limited to the construction employing one weight at each end of a section of conductor, as one end of each section may be in some instances secured by other means.

hile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown, as modifications may readily be made without departing from its spirit.

Having, however, thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a conducting-wire, of a swinging supporting means therefor,'and aweight attached to one end of the wire, sub stantially as described.

2. The combination with a cond noting-wire, of swinging supporting means therefor, and weights attached to the ends of the wire, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a conducting-wire, of a swinging supporting means therefor, a pulley adjacent to one end of the wire over which said wire is passed, and a weight attached to the said end, substantially as described.

The combination with a movable conducting trolley-wire, of a weight therefor, and a short -circuiting contact engaged by the wire when moved an abnormal distance, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a movable conducting trolley-wire, means for movably maintaining it in position and a short-circuiting contact engaged by the wire when moved an abnormal distance, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a conducting-wire, of a movable support therefor, a weight attached to one end of the wire, and a shortcircuiting contact adapted for electrical connection with said wire through the agency of said movable support when moved an abnormal distance, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a conducting-wire, of a swinging support therefor, and a shortcircuiting contact adapted for electrical connection with said wire through the agency of said swinging support when moved an abnormal distance, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a conducting-wire, of a swinging support therefor carrying a portion having electrical connection with said wire, and a short-circuiting contact adapted for electrical connection with said portion when said support is moved an abnormal distance, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a conductor formed in a plurality of sections, of weights attached to said sections, the said sections overlapping at their contiguous ends, and short-circuiting contacts engaged by the sections of wire when moved abnormally, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a conductor formed in a plurality of sections, said conductors overlapping at their contiguous ends, of pulleys over which ends of the conductorsections pass, supports movable longitudinally of the conductor for supporting said sections, and short-circuiting contacts engaged by the sections of wire when moved abnormally, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a conductor formed in a plurality of sections, said conductors overlapping at their contiguous ends, of pulleys over which ends of the conductor sections pass, supports movable longitudinally of the conductor for supporting said sections, and swinging supports for supporting said sections, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of August, A. D. 1899.

EMMERIOH ERNST FRISCHMU'IH.

lVitnesses WILLIAM IVIAYNER, HENRY HAsPER. 

